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The Hay literature festival has delivered a £70m boost to the local economy over the last three years, research has revealed.

In 2018, the early-summer event generated £25.8m alone, an increase of 26pc on 2016, according to analysis by data collection consultancy QPS Research.

The Hay Festival has attracted visitors from more than 40 countries, stretching as far and wide as Afghanistan and Venezuela. Of the 273,000 that attended the festival in 2018, almost half (41pc) stayed in local accommodation for an average of four nights.

Founded in 1987 around a kitchen table, the festival has grown into a major global event and hosted high-profile politicians, Nobel Prize winners, comedians, philosophers...